What Is WelChol?
WelChol should be used in combination with diet and exercise. It has also been approved to help improve blood sugar control in people with
type 2 diabetes.
WelChol is manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
What Is WelChol Used For?
WelChol has been licensed to treat high
LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) in people with high total cholesterol. It has also been licensed to help treat type 2
diabetes.
WelChol is part of a class of drugs known as bile acid sequestrants.
It works by binding to bile acids in the intestines, preventing them from being reabsorbed into the body. Bile acids are made in the liver from broken-down cholesterol. Therefore, removing these substances from your body helps lower your blood cholesterol. WelChol can lower both total and LDL cholesterol, while slightly
raising HDL cholesterol.
It is not yet known how WelChol works to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. However, it is clear that the drug works within the digestive tract, since it is not absorbed into the rest of the body.